Democracy a fig leaf for capitalism in US: If rich people ain't happy, ain't nobody happy

American writer and political commentator Daniel Patrick Welch says democracy is the fig leaf of capitalism in the United States, hiding a basic truth: If rich people ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

Welch made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Friday while commenting on a statement by former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley who has suggested that aged politicians in the American government should undergo a "cognitive test."

She was asked in an interview on Thursday about her thoughts on the mental health of 78-year-old Democratic President Joe Biden, the oldest man to run the country, who seems to lose touch with reality lately.

"Well what I'll tell you is, rather than making this about a person, we seriously need to have a conversation that if you're gonna have anyone above a certain age in a position of power — whether it's the House, whether it's the Senate, whether it's vice president, whether it's president — you should have some sort of cognitive test," Haley said.

Nikki Haley calls for cognitive test for older US politicians

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has suggested that aged politicians in the American government should undergo a "cognitive test."

The former South Carolina governor compared it to how lawmakers disclose their tax returns.

"And right now, let's face it, we've got a lot of people in leadership positions that are old. And that's not being disrespectful. That's a fact," Haley, 49, added.

"And when it comes to that, this shouldn't be partisan. We should seriously be looking at the ages of the people that are running our country and understand if that's what we want," she continued.

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“This thing about Nikki Haley suggesting a cognitive test for older politicians is kind of cute. I mean, she really is one to talk, isn’t she? All that inane and insane rhetoric and imperialist propaganda she spouted at the UN as the US blowhard-in-chief, right?” Welch said.

“She’s probably just positioning herself to run for president in 2020 and hinting not so subtly at Biden’s dementia or whatever. But she is really tempting karma. Really… who is she kidding? Could she pass her own cognitive test? Could any of them pass any reasonable test that counts—like, do you serve the people,” he added.

“It’s funny, Iran, China, other systems, politicians are all scientists… here they’re all lawyers. Shakespeare’s famous solution notwithstanding [First, let’s kill all the lawyers], lawyer does not equal bad… necessarily. But it is good training, for the hustle that masquerades as politics in the US. They’re all either batshit crazy, power hungry, or completely sold out to the money interests… many a combination of all three,” he said.

“I know. Of course I’m exaggerating for comic effect and speaking partly tongue in cheek. But only partly. Especially in the 40 years since Reagan has basically been president in one persona or another… you basically have 535 clones of Reagan in varying costumes,” he stated.

“And since I’m from Salem and we just survived Halloween, I can indulge the metaphor a little more: they come as vampires, bloodsuckers, clowns, zombies, mummified relics. You know, the whole gamut: scary, clever, fake, hilarious, things that just won’t die. Basically Halloween all the time,” he said.

‘Politicians can’t deliver anything without a mass movement behind them’

“Even the most milquetoast social democratic policy, let alone a sweeping, radical effort to reset the balance of wealth or power comes to nothing. Politicians can’t deliver anything without a mass movement behind them. The people have to lead, and pull the politicians along. It is such a mirage and so unattainable it might as well be a pipe dream. How many times? Twice I can think of, that it happened in US history: the New Deal and Civil Rights Act. Both relied on huge mass movements. Both have been completely dismantled once the rich regained their footing and pressed their advantage,” Welch said.  

“To be honest, the New Deal itself, was, despite its Keynesian roots… Well, ten times as much money was given to corporations for the war effort than was spent on social programs. We’ve been playing trickle down all along,” he said.

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“I mean, it isn’t much of an exaggeration to say that the only thing that trickled down from the overflow Reagan’s demented brain is the shitty neoliberal ideology preaching the market as the solution to everything. It’s like a cabal, a cartel, a syndicate really,” he said.  

‘Rising tide lifts all boats’ – a delusion

“Now, 40 years later, policy on every level is infected with this delusion that a rising tide lifts all boats, despite the ubiquitous and glaring evidence to the contrary. There is virtually no variation from the dogma, and no longer any imagination allowed. That is the solution: the market,” he explained.

“So in addition to the 535, virtually every executive, every president governor mayor county commissioner down to the local level is some version of this Reaganite clone, or clown, if you prefer,” he said.

Sham democracy

“So local politics often winds up being the trench war where this plays out, and where any opponent of this established rule is outgunned and outfunded five, six, ten to one. And they call this ‘democracy,’ they call those ‘elections,’” he said.

“The local level pols who ‘Partly’ or ‘also’ serve the money interests with talk about stakeholders and ‘everyone around the table’… just wind up putting a smiley face on capitulating to the owners—of capital, of property, of the political process itself.  Because you can’t spar with the ruling class, you can’t find a ‘middle ground’ with the all-powerful who want. It. All,” he said.

“Remember Malcolm X: stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six, that’s not progress. If you pull it all the way out that's not progress. Progress is healing the wound that the blade made,” he stated.  

“These are not friends and certainly not allies of the people, and you can’t placate them by making the ‘best deal,’ or a better deal than the other guy—whatever,” he said.

“So yes that shitty condo high-rise project will go through eventually; no your pension won’t be increased; no you won’t see any relief in your tax burden and you won’t see any meaningful attempt to reverse or even stem the mushrooming inequality,” he said.  

“Because the whole idea of neoliberalism is to create a civil service class or army. The bad guys always win, and those who think they wield power only wind up enabling the acceleration of wealth transfer to the top,” the analyst continued.  

‘Democracy is the fig leaf of capitalism in the US’

“It’s to put a believable cover to the lie that power lies with the people when it clearly does not. Democracy is the fig leaf of capitalism in the US, giving just enough to stave off rebellion and keep the money tap flowing. That’s what they care about,” Welch said.  

“And as such, it is literally the gateway to fascism. Because when the people do wake up realize we’ve been swindled, the mask comes off and then it is literally blood in the streets. You know, George Jackson said way back in 1970 that for black people in USA and global south generally, fascism had already arrived,” he said.

“But make no mistake [chuckles]: if they don’t get what they want, the rich owners of this country have absolutely zero qualms about lowering the boom on you and me or anyone who effectively challenges their rule. Because In the end, they don’t give two shits about your Auntie’s diabetes or your son’s student loans. It just is: If rich people ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy, and they will let you know it loud and clear,” he noted.

“So I guess talking about sanity or cognitive ability in the US political system is a nonstarter. I remember a political cartoonist—I can’t remember which one or I would give him credit--once drew a cartoon where he put a sign above the voting booth that parroted Dante’s inscription on the gates of hell: Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here. And that is not comedy, and it’s not an exaggeration. Boom,” he concluded.

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